According to a study by J.D. Power, the automotive industry is seeing small signs of increased consumer confidence in fully automated self-driving vehicles, although overall confidence remains low.
After a two-year decline, the index score for consumer automated vehicle (AV) readiness increases 2 points to 39 (on a 100-point scale), which is where it was in 2022.
The pace with which consumers accept the technology remains relatively flat among the general population and safety continues to affect consumer confidence.
To drive positive change, 83 per cent of consumers say they want more safety statistics regarding the technology before riding and 86 per cent say they want the ability to take control of the vehicle if needed. Until these issues are addressed and consumer expectations are met, gains in consumer confidence with the technology will remain low.
Following are some key findings of the 2024 study
- Drones in demand: This year’s study also measures consumer confidence with various ways that automated self-driving technology may be deployed for air transportation, including drones and air taxis (i.e., aircraft with vertical takeoff and landing capabilities). Confidence in having packages delivered using an automated drone is 34 per cent, more than double the rate of riding in a fully automated, self-driving air taxi (16 per cent).
- Insurance per ride unexpected: Nearly three-fourths (71 per cent) of consumers say they don’t expect to acquire insurance on a pay-per-ride basis when utilising a robotaxi service. More than half (57 per cent) agree that the vehicle owner will need liability coverage for any fully automated, self-driving vehicle.
- Parents of teens want ADAS technology: Parents of teen drivers are roughly twice as comfortable letting them drive the household vehicle (50 per cent) than ride in a robotaxi (26 per cent) or use Uber teen (29 per cent). However, 39 per cent of parents say they want the household vehicle to be equipped with Active Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) technology for safety reasons.
J.D. Power senior manager of auto benchmarking and mobility development, Lisa Boor outlined how this year’s improvement was minimal considering the needs required to boost consumer confidence.
“Repeated and consistent reporting of safety findings over time—with independent oversight—will aid acceptance. Furthermore, addressing persistent concerns regarding insurance costs and data privacy also are paramount,” Boor says.
Data and privacy concerns
Data privacy and hacking remain top concerns as 64 per cent of consumers express concern that the data collected in the vehicle is not safe and secure and 80 per cent want to understand what is being done to prevent fully automated, self-driving vehicles from being hacked.
In fact, this issue is becoming so important to consumers that 40 per cent (definitely and probably will) indicated that the automaker’s data protection policy will be a reason to purchase one brand over another when shopping for their next vehicle.
The AgeLab at the MIT Center for Transportation and Logistics and a founder of MIT’s Advanced Vehicle Technology (AVT) Consortium research scientist, Bryan Reimer, highlighted how consumers are increasingly concerned with data privacy.
“Data security and transparency regarding data use are becoming increasingly important as a foundation for building trust in technology and connected digital solutions,” Reimer says.
“Trust is built over time but can be quickly eroded. The news media’s attention to a recent failure by one automotive manufacturer to safeguard drivers’ privacy is likely provoking anxiety among automotive consumers.”
The J.D. Power 2024 Mobility Confidence Index Study is based on responses from 3,000 vehicle owners in the United States who are age 18 or older, and who completed an online survey. The study results are balanced to basic census demographics to be nationally representative.